title: Transcapillary oncotic pressure in the edema of congestive heart failure.
abstract: Tissue fluid and plasma oncotic pressure levels were measured in an unselected group of 13 patients presenting with congestive heart failure. Patients had a mean serum albumin of 3.6 g/dl +/- (SD) 0.35; serum oncotic pressure was 22.23 +/- 1.8 mm Hg; tissue fluid (lower leg) oncotic pressure was 0.985 +/- 0.34 mm Hg. The oncotic pressure gradient between plasma and tissue fluid was 21.25 Hg +/- 1.7. This is about 10 mm Hg greater than delta pi in normal man. The high value in congestive heart failure is a mechanism to protect against the formation of edema. The possible mechanisms responsible for the formation of edema in congestive heart failure are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Brooklyn VA Medical Center, N.Y.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pintea
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garcia Morino
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Preston
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Berlyne
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Berlyne
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004489:Edema, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009997:Osmotic Pressure